Chapter 269: Kakuzu Is Not Happy
Crunching over coarse sand and grinding against gravel, Kakuzu, cloaked entirely in black, walked through the endless barren rocky plains of the Land of Frost.
Everywhere he looked was a lifeless, desolate landscape.
Even the distant ocean, rising and falling against the shore, seemed lifeless and bleak.
Yet, in this forsaken no-man's-land, nestled between great nations, a chaotic zone where even birds wouldn't bother to relieve themselves, there thrived a group of shinobi who moved solely for money—
Bounty Ninjas.
As Kakuzu made his way into the hidden underground bounty exchange of the Land of Frost, the conversation of two bounty ninjas drinking nearby reached his ears.
"Have you heard?"
"About those huge incidents a few days ago?"
The other bounty ninja swirled his drink, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Of course I've heard. The shinobi world is becoming more chaotic by the day."
"In just one day, so many major events happened—"
"The Battle for Hell Valley, Orochimaru's surprise attack on Kumogakure, the mysterious extermination of the Blood Pool Clan, and the turmoil in the Lightning Country's capital!"
"Especially that battle in Hell Valley… I heard that even Jinchūriki—those strategic-level weapons—were deployed."
"But the details are still under wraps, so we don't know the exact outcome yet."
"Still, if we could just pick off a strong target with a bounty from the battlefield's aftermath… tsk tsk, we'd strike it rich!"
Hearing this, Kakuzu's eyes flickered for a moment.
A mocking smile crept onto his face, and he let out a derisive snort.
Because—
There was no winner in this war.
Kumogakure had sought to seize Hell Valley, even deploying the Third Raikage and two Jinchūriki.
But thanks to that Uchiha brat, the arrival of the Yellow Flash, and the mysterious annihilation of the Blood Pool Clan, their efforts ended in vain, forcing them to retreat.
Konoha had attempted to use the chaos to launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure, but Orochimaru's squad was severely wounded by the village's secret weapon, leaving them no choice but to withdraw in disgrace.
Even the Uchiha Clan—
At this thought, Kakuzu's sneer deepened. He recalled the words of Uchiha Hokko, the one who had hired him, spoken in desperation after Kakuzu barely escaped from the furious Minato Namikaze:
"With your help, plus the Grand Elder's secret preparations, there's still a sliver of hope that Uchiha Ci might have survived the fall!"
"We'll send people to scour the cliffside thoroughly."
A thorough search, huh?
In the end, all they found was the extermination of the Blood Pool Clan, while their own clan's young leader had vanished without a trace.
In a single night, the Uchiha Clan lost two of its strongest pillars, turning them into a laughingstock.
Yet, if one had to pick a true winner from this war—
BAM!
Two heavy chests slammed onto the counter.
A burly, bearded, bald-headed man undid the clasp on one of them, revealing stacks of large-denomination Ryo bills.
"Kakuzu-san,"
"The six million from your bounty mission, plus an extra three million from Sunagakure, six million in emergency funds from the Land of Lightning, and a secretive fortune sent from the Land of Fire—after deducting fees, it's all here."
The bald man grinned greedily, his gaze flickering toward the other chest—larger, unopened.
Compared to the rest, the sum inside that one was truly terrifying.
"You truly are the greatest bounty ninja."
"This is the largest deal we've ever completed!"
"The exchange looks forward to working with you again!"
"Oh."
Faced with the exchange master's enthusiasm, Kakuzu merely nodded indifferently.
Then, without hesitation, he grabbed the two heavy chests and turned to leave.
That's right—
The only real winner in this war was him—Kakuzu!
He had taken out a brat he already disliked and, in the process, collected four massive bounties—from Sunagakure, Kumogakure, the Uchiha Clan, and the underground exchange!
A perfect four-in-one payout!
But—
"Kakuzu-san, you're not going to count it?"
The bald man blinked in surprise.
Kakuzu just took the money and left? So unlike him.
In the past, Kakuzu would spend hours painstakingly counting every single bill, checking for hidden explosive tags, cross-referencing every transaction to ensure all the money was real and spendable.
His scrutiny was uncompromising.
But today…
What changed?
Kakuzu paused at the door, silent for a moment.
Then he turned back and coldly stared at the bald man.
"Is there a problem?"
"N-No."
Feeling the murderous chill in Kakuzu's gaze—one that screamed rob everyone here and burn the place down—the bald man swallowed hard. Then, forcing a flattering smile, he hesitated before speaking:
"I just wanted to ask—"
"That pair of Sharingan from the Uchiha Clan's young leader in your hands… are they for sale?"
Kakuzu's brow twitched. He let out a sharp snort.
"What?"
"You actually dare pluck the Uchiha Clan's whiskers?"
"You think they haven't killed enough of your kind already?"
The bald man chuckled.
"Times have changed, Kakuzu-san. The Uchiha Clan's decline is already evident."
"First, their young leader vanishes. Then, their esteemed Grand Elder, Uchiha Setsuna, was reportedly killed in that battle two days ago."
"They can barely fend for themselves now—why would they care about us 'rats in the gutter'?"
Hearing this, Kakuzu let out a mocking laugh.
"Your intelligence gathering is fast."
"Old habits die hard," the bald man smirked.
"Even if I no longer work as a spy, some instincts remain."
He leaned in, eyes gleaming.
"Kakuzu-san, I have contacts among the Water Country's nobility.
For those eyes—I'll name a price."
He lifted a single finger, waving it in front of Kakuzu.
He was sure that a number this high would be impossible for the money-hungry Kakuzu to refuse.
And he himself?
He could make nearly ten million just from flipping the deal.
However—
BAM!
CRACK!
Kakuzu expressionlessly grabbed the man's finger, twisted it backward—SNAP!
Bone pierced flesh. Blood splattered.
The bounty ninjas around the bar flinched at the pained shriek, instinctively going on high alert as they glanced toward the counter.
Only then did Kakuzu speak, his tone indifferent:
"Not for sale."
"Hhrrggh—!"
The bald man trembled in agony but still maintained a professional, if shaky, smile.
"U-Understood, Kakuzu-san…"
Kakuzu tossed the crushed, bloodied finger into a pile of rotting trash in the corner, snorted coldly, and picked up his money chests again.
Just as he turned to leave—
"Kakuzu-san, wait!"
Through gritted teeth, the bald man rasped:
"There's another bounty you might be interested in."
"In the Land of Lightning's capital—"
"The Daimyō, who was attacked a few days ago, has increased the bounty—
Now raised to thirty million ryō!"
"And the target is—"
"The still-rampaging leader of the Immortal Cult—"
"Uchiha Ci!"
At the name, Kakuzu's eyes narrowed slightly.
But a second later, he seemed indifferent again, silently picking up his money and stepping out of the exchange.
As he looked over the desolate rocky plains once more,
He raised his gloved hand, glancing at the fresh bloodstain—
And for some reason, let out a deep breath.
Yes—
He had made a fortune.
But…
Seeing all those who had mourned, raged, and rejoiced over the death of that Uchiha brat,
For some reason, he didn't feel happy.
Shaking off the strange thought, he recalibrated his sense of direction.
Then, following the eastern coastline of the Land of Frost, he headed southeast.
And in that direction—
Lay the capital of the Land of Lightning—Yunming City.
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